Friday update

A few notes on a day when I really want to be at the Georgetown waterfront downing a few cold ones.......Gilbert Arenas, who started last night but was in obvious discomfort and left the game late in the first half, did not practice today and remains day-to-day. Both he and Coach Eddie Jordan said they hope Arenas can play Sunday in Game 4.

Gilbert, on what went down last night: "Actually, I missed the last two practices because I had achiness and then I had an MRI before the game and it said I have a bone bruise and a little pinching in the nerve. I said I would try to go out there and warm it up and see how long I can last. I knew I wasn't going to play more than 10 or 15 minutes. I just wanted to get out there energize the crowd, get everybody excited about being home and get some people involved until my time was up."

Arenas said he started because he was unsure whether the knee would stiffen up if he sat after pre-game warmups and that is exactly what happened when he took a seat six minutes into the game. He tried to stay loose on a stationary bike but was limping pretty badly and eventually had to shut it down.

On Eddie Jordan saying that he thinks Gilbert can play Sunday: "I feel the same way. You know, once I go out, there is a question of can I go back in. But once I'm already warm, I can take the pain."

On potential long-term risk: "I asked the doctor that and he said it's not a problem. It's a bone bruise and I'm just scared to take the numbing shot. If it comes down to that, I'll take the shot."

On wanting to be out there: "Guys have been out there in pain all year. A.D. has a wrist, Caron has a chipped bone in his wrist....so, you have to make sacrifices. If I can play three or four minutes and get everybody excited, that's what I'm going to do."

Several players commented on how great the fans were last night and I agree with them. I've been down on the fans all season because the VC was one of the lamest atmospheres in the league but last night, they really brought it and it impacted the game.

Caron: "It was like being back in college. They were great and we fed off their energy. It was good to see because that is what we faced in Cleveland."

DeShawn Stevenson, who finally walked the walk last night after talking all kinds of talk, nearly made it through an interview with the press today without tweaking LeBron James and the Cavs but not quite.

When told about LeBron saying that "there is no LeBron/DeShawn rivalry, Stevenson said: "Well, he was stealing my move in Cleveland so obviously he's worried about us and what we're doing over here but the only thing we're going to do is go out there and play basketball."

The key to last night was forcing turnovers. The Wiz forced 19 in the first two games but the Cavs coughed it up 23 times and the Wiz turned those into 20 points last night. Eddie Jordan mixed man and zone looks, doubled James at times and shadded a defender to his side at others to discourage him from taking it to the basket.

James wound up attemping four free throws (he missed two) for the game. I think the Wizards would take that average for the rest of the series. The other interesting stat on James was that he finished with three assists.

Eddie Jordan was pleased that his team did by playing sound defense rather than overcommitting to jumping passing lanes and otherwise gambling.

"We said that: if we are solid in our schemes and our double teams and our free zone off guys, and we play the next pass and the second pass out of that trap the correct way, we'll be fine,"Jordan said. "You have to be smart while you're athletic. You have to be smart while you're physical. You have to see the game and be in the right spots."

It's starting to sound like EJ has a "Tonya Harding" thing for Gilbert's knee. I would think we wouldn't rely on Gilbert and Eddie for medical evaluations given the history here.

Anyway, GA isn't needed on Sunday, although he should be ready to play the last 3-4 minutes of the game, if comes down to that.

The Wiz showed that they can win in DC with tenacious D. While unwritten, Blatche was also a momentum changer, with aggressive play, a block, and a save (by knocking the ball off of a Cav and out-of-bounds). AJ's block on Ben Wallace also provided a big lift.

Good point, Izman. Blatche was bringing it last night on both sides of the ball in a way he hasn't brought it too much since the first few games of the season when he felt he had something to prove. Last night he had a big impact on the game during meaningful stretches, rather than after the blowout began.

The Wizards have a model for what worked against the Cavs. Now, the Cavs will go and adjust to that, the questions is how effective will they be. My guess--not that effective. Mike Brown hasn't proven to be a quality coach, and relies soley on the skills of one player to get it done. Can we expect another 36 point win? Probably not. Can we expect the Wizards to maintain the energy, effort, and focus for the rest of the series? Most likely.

Also, if we continue to treat the Cavs as what they are (an average team with one great player, which finished with just one more win than the wizards without the injuries we sustained) then we will be just fine.

While I certainly won't claim to be an expert on Gilbert's knee, I have a bone bruise on my knee. Surgery is an option, as is rest. I haven't run in 4 months due to it. The risk to continuing to run on it would be that part of the bone could break off. That might not be a horrible thing, but it depends on whether the bone is weight-bearing (bad news) or not (not so bad).

EJ threw in some nice rotations yesterday. For example, having BTH and Blatche out there at the same time. It makes sense to go big, especially because the cavs are huge. I really hope this series stays interesting.

I have had reconstructive knee surgery, and of coarse I am not "privy" to the rehab facilities nor the amount of time that Gilbert has in a day to rehab, but It was more than a year before I even got back on the court, and longer than that to adjust once I did.

Gil is coming back too soon! I hope he doesn't regret it...coming back too soon robbed Grant Hill of 4 years out of his carreer.

Last night was great. I was there and was surprised how loud it got, especially for a Wizards game. We need to get some of the people that go to Caps games to come to these games. I've been to plenty of both this year, and the Caps games are just ridiculously loud and have a large effect on the game. If we can get Wizards fans to produce half that noise, the Phone Booth will be a great place for basketball too!

By the way, it seems that someone has started posting using my name. And by the kinds of posts I've been reading lately, he's using several people's names.

I've been posting here long enough, that most of you know that I post comments with at least a modicome of thought behind them.... I don't use the name "Gilby". That I am a true Wizards fan. I am a fan of Gilbert Arenas, and think the Wizards should re-sign him (AND Jamison). I think that JCN jobbed Ernie Grunfeld, and don't care much for his game (or lack thereof), his negotiation tactics, or his ethics. I do watch other teams in the NBA and consider myself at least somewhat up to date on other players; including their strengths and weaknesses.

So, completely STUPID posts like:
"How is JCN overrated? He played all 82 games and averaged almost 11 points in 26 minutes."
"Amare plays offense and defense. He's not one dimensional like Gilby."

are completely out of character, compared to what I usually post. They are NOT however, out of character for a certain other juvenile idiot who frequents (and mostly takes over) this blog.

I have sent a complaint to the Washington Post - that contrary to the stated rules of this blog, someone is co-opting other's blog ID's to post.

i was talking about this the other day, and another thing the wizards could consider doing in this draft is trading down. assume for a second we retain everyone, including mason. we have our starting 5 set. and we have a bench/rotation set. anyone we draft is going to get minimal playing time, unless there is an injury. unless someone we are in love with falls a little, we could probably trade down several spots and get someone we value just as much as at the 18th spot, and maybe pick up an extra second round pick. the grizzlies, have a second 1st round pick at 28, and probably a high 2nd round pick (in the top 5). we could offer our first for both of those, and maybe either a future pick or a sign and trade of lowry.

then with the late first round we could still get a collison or lawson or even a guy like rush who may fall, but i think would be a great defender/shooter in the nba. and the 2nd round picks we can go big, with some guys that have potential, but won't cost much, like joey dorsey or devan hardin. they each have the potential to be as good as thomas and haywood, but at a fraction of the cost 2 seasons from now.

i'm thinking cheap, only because we all know abe doesn't believe in hitting the luxury tax, and we still have 2 more seasons after this one of AD, thomas, and haywood (actually the cheapest of the 3). and the only way to go cheap is to have young guys who haven't earned a big contract, or old guys looking to win something before they retire.

blatche is going to end up being a huge value, since his contract is fairly cheap, but he's looking to become a very good big man down the road. also, after next season both pesch and young are up for extensions. not sure if we'll ahve the room to resign both, without possible getting rid of a contract first. maybe we could throw in thomas to memphis for cardinal, in the trade i mentioned above. cardinal's contract ends a year earlier, clear 6 mil for us to resign both young and pesch, and i think it's safe to say that thomas brings a lot more to the game than cardinal for the grizzlies.

I hear ya Rook. You know something is wrong when DCMan is supposedly supporting/defending GA. It's gotten a little chaotic in here. There should be some sort of sign up process where you get your username etc and can be kicked out for personal attacks, etc... Probably would have kept the gloating Clevelanders from spamming our blog as well.

Anyway, I posted something about GA starting before and now that I know the full story, it seems like it was not such a bad idea. But, let's be honest, we have to win this series without GA anyway. It's almost just a distraction at this point and I would not trust the Wiz's doctors at all if I were GA! A 3rd knee surgery and he can kiss a max contract goodbye. Not that I necessarily believe he deserves one, but...

Well thought out plan. If we are able to keep our current roster intact, I would be in favor or drafting a Dorsey or even a Hibbert (although not too enamored with him). I would also be happy with Rush if available. Pesch is not high on my favorites list, and I understand that he hasn't really been given time to prove himself, but I wouldn't mind giving up on him today. He's like a Russian Jamison, and there can only be one Jamison. I think it's risky trading first round picks unless you can get a future first rounder + something else in return.

I can see why Nick Young hasn't seen the floor in the playoffs he looked a little ragged yesterday getting stripped,poor dribble pentration, shooting bricks, he needs some serious weight work, arms and shoulders that being said he has a serious upside.

I would be in favor or drafting a Dorsey or even a Hibbert (although not too enamored with him). I would also be happy with Rush if available. Pesch is not high on my favorites list, and I understand that he hasn't really been given time to prove himself, but I wouldn't mind giving up on him today.

Posted by: DC The Kid | April 25, 2008 3:36 PM

Don't know much about Dorsey, although from the write ups I did see, he looks like an Offensive liability. We definately don't need a 6' 9" Center... (Can anyone say "smallball"?)

I think Hibbert would be a better pick if the Wizards go after a big man. His game will translate well to the Professional ranks. Georgetown runs a modified Princeton Offense, similar to the Wizards. He's a decent rebounder, has really good size (7' 2"), plays fundamentally sound post defense, has a pretty good Offensive game, and has an OK Free Throw percentage. Think Calvin Booth.... but bigger.

At the 18th pick in the 1st round, you're looking for someone that can help your team, and have a chance at a decent career in the NBA. You can "waste" a 2nd round pick on someone with tremendous upside.

I still think the Wiz should draft a PG with their 1st Round pick... I seriously doubt that any of the top tier PG's (Rose, Bayless, Westbrook) will be available when the Wizards pick, so that leaves the next set... Collison, Augustin, and Mario Chalmers. My favorite of those three is Collison; mainly because he plays defense, and he works extremely hard. Put him in the backcourt with Arenas playing the 2 guard, and it would be a nightmare for the other team trying to get the ball over half court.

DCMan, you're always a glass-half-empty guy when it comes to Gil. You could just as easily applaud Gil for trying to come back and contribute when his team needs all hands on deck, and his presence on the floor, even if for a brief amount of time last night, added a lot in terms of ball movement, team confidence, fan excitement...

When Dorsey is effective he is a rebounder who runs the floor and blocks shots. He is def. an offensive liability, but so was Ben Wallace (even in his prime). I think at pick 18, you look for someone like that. Having said that, Dorsey showed in college that his attitude is questionable at times, and he will never be a solid offensive force.

I too prefer to get a PG, although I prefer Chalmers over collison, but would be happy with either.

Those quotes sounded selfish to you? He specifically said that he knew he was only going to be able to play 15 mins at the most and during that time he was concerned with getting other people involved (he did) and hyping up the crowd (he did). He also mentioned all the other players who were/are playing hurt.

I think Hibbert will end up being a better pro player than he was a college player, and wouldn't have a problem seeing him in a Wizards jersey. however, if they're going after another big (and they do need to shore up the C position) I really think their biggest need is someone who provides a aggressive physical presents and play with high energy and a fast motor (not exactly a perfect description of Hibbert). They've had problems all season with opposing big men who play fast and hard and they need a reliable counter. Of course, some of the current NBA guys who best epitomize that kind of player (Millsap, Maxiell) were second round picks, so maybe they can unearth a buried gem. I still think Pat Ewing Jr. might be worth a second round look.

PG isn't as crucial a need because, assuming Arenas re-signs and both he and Daniels are healthy, any PG they draft is going to be 3rd string and see very little action. But they need a backup C to play behind Haywood and move Blatche back to his natural forward spot. Even if Thomas is healthy next season 9and there's no reason to think he won't), it's unlikely he's part of the team's long-term plan.

I think the Wiz need a PG or a big man. Hard to say which is the more pressing need, depends in part on whether Wiz can re-sign Roger for reasonable money this offseason and of course how the Gilbert drama will play out. Roger's been pretty serviceable at the point behind Antonio and Ernie and Gil profess their love publicly. Depends also on what Ernie is thinking about two years' out when Etan's and Antonio's contracts are up.

If he's thinking get rid of Etan, he'll need a big man, big enough to man the 5. Veremenko is out there but he's a skinny 6'11" PF. Jason Thompson would be another good fit for the Wiz, but is not big enough either. Hibbert would fill the bill and would help sell tickets. The Wiz seem to have a soft spot for picking local guys, so I wouldn't be surprised if that's the pick, assuming Hibbert's still around at the 18th spot.

I love Roy, but to me that guy looks like bad knees waiting to happen (although I thought the same thing about Ewing...). I'd rather see Ernie pick a PG at 18 and a big man in the second round, re-sign Roger, and trade Antonio's expiring contract for a back-up for Brendan.

Collision would be the best PG available at 18th.

But let's hope we can hold off on these offseason conversations for many weeks yet...

Gilbert is obviously playering hurt and its not worth risking 10-15 minutes of him for his future....I'm not sure what impact he has besides firing up the crowd. The chemistry of the team before his injury was good and it resurfaced last night with the 2nd unit getting big contributions from Mason and Blatche. The offense also runs better with AD at the point with better ball movement and spacing on the floor.

CB3 is also mentally more focused to be the "go to guy" without GA on the floor. Last night, he was taking it to the rack, hitting J's, and playing tough D on Lebron. EJ smartly figured out that LeBron wants to abuse DSS and that Caron is a better matchup on defense. Hope Eddie continues to make these type of changes as the series progresses.

I can see why Nick Young hasn't seen the floor in the playoffs he looked a little ragged.
Posted by: DARGREGMAG@AOL.COM

ya think? youd look ragged 2 if you only got 1 minute of pt in the past 3 weeks. ny is a monster talent and they are really hurting themselves by not incorporating him more.

Typical Gilby selfishness. He has to start and play to get the crowd's approval even though he is injured and could have hurt the team. IDIOT!!!
Posted by: DC Man88

gotta disagree with that. i was at the game last night and when arenas was announced as a starter, the place literally exploded. it was one of those goosebump moments. that electric jolt to the arena really helped ignite things i think and had a real positive effect on getting the team off to a hot start.

and even though arenas did little, he did make a couple amazing assist passes and even as he left you could feel that his presence this time really helped.
now that wont work every time. but last night it really did.

PG isn't as crucial a need because, assuming Arenas re-signs and both he and Daniels are healthy, any PG they draft is going to be 3rd string and see very little action. But they need a backup C to play behind Haywood and move Blatche back to his natural forward spot. Even if Thomas is healthy next season 9and there's no reason to think he won't), it's unlikely he's part of the team's long-term plan.

Posted by: kalorama | April 25, 2008 4:51 PM

I doubt ANY rookie, even a 1st rounder, is going to get much time, or make much of an impact in their first year anyway... (see Nick Young this year).

However you make a very good point Kal, the Wizards will need to find a young Center to backup Haywood - if not next year, then the Year after. There are several Centers that could fall into the Wizards lap; and the Wizards could fill the need for a 3rd point guard through Free Agency or a Trade.

Some of the Centers that may be available are:

Roy Hibbert (7' 2")- my favorite choice, if the Wizards pick big, because he is the most ready to contribute now. Not much upside though.JaVale McGee (7' 0") might slip as far as 18thRobin Lopez (7' 0"), Brook's twin brother.Hasheem Thabeet (7' 2") Very raw, but you can't teach height, and great athleticism.

"DCMan, you're always a glass-half-empty guy when it comes to Gil. You could just as easily applaud Gil for trying to come back and contribute when his team needs all hands on deck, and his presence on the floor, even if for a brief amount of time last night, added a lot in terms of ball movement, team confidence, fan excitement...

Posted by: Prazak | April 25, 2008 4:25 PM "

Yes, he did. But do you want fluff, or do you want championships?

Do you want teamwork, or do you want one on one?

Do you want defense, or do you want olay?

Do you want chemistry, or do you want a disjointed team?

Gilby brought what he brought last night, but what we saw is that when he went out, the team focused on taking care of business, and everybody was involved. It was a great win for Les BouleS, but nothing new since they've been doing it all season sans Gilby.

Gilby can stay with Les BouleS if he wants, but in no way is he a max player, mvp of the team, or the leader.

Typical Gilby selfishness. He has to start and play to get the crowd's approval even though he is injured and could have hurt the team. IDIOT!!!

Posted by: DC Man88 | April 25, 2008 4:10 PM

Wow... that statement could have been made about most of the Wizards team...

Caron Butler (nursing hip, knee, and wrist injuries):
"Typical Caron selfishness. He has to start and play to get the crowd's approval even though he is injured and could have hurt the team. IDIOT!!!"

Deshawn Stevenson (knee and back injuries):
"Typical Stevenson selfishness. He has to start and play to get the crowd's approval even though he is injured and could have hurt the team. IDIOT!!!"

Antonio Daniels (wrist)
"Typical Antonio selfishness. He has to start and play to get the crowd's approval even though he is injured and could have hurt the team. IDIOT!!!"

On the other hand, perhaps Gilbert Arenas was trying to do EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID HE WANTED TO DO!!!! Start. Play as many minutes as he was physically able. Help the team get off to a fast start. Get the crowd juiced up. And try to do all that BEFORE his knee became too painful to continue... (as was reported by Ivan Carter in the Washington Post)....

Your hatred is showing again DC Man88. Maybe you could put it away, at least until the Playoffs are over....?

"I, for one appreciate Gilbert's loyalty to the team and fans, especially since he has come off of 2 serious surgeries this season. Gilbert Washington, DC fans appreciate and love you.

Posted by: washingtonian | April 25, 2008 7:42 PM "

Loyalty? Yeah, loyalty to the highest bidder.

I guess you were sleeping when Gilby declared that he would opt out at the end of the season and possibly go somewhere else for less money.

"I asked Arenas last month what he thought the Wizards had to do to appease his wishes. He wouldn't campaign for the Wizards to acquire certain players, but he did say, "If you want a championship, you got to get a championship team."

He added: "I know this might not sound right, but the championship teams treat themselves like champions. You go into Miami's locker room, I'm like, 'Wow, what the hell is this?' Everything from their game-day meals for their players to every state-of-the-art thing you can imagine. As a player, why would you want to leave the locker room? I could sit there all day.

"We've been doing a better job, but it comes down to this: You treat your players like champions, they want to be champions," he added. "All the best teams in the league treat themselves first-class every day. Other players come over and think, 'They got this, they got that. Oh, I want to be here.' "

Whether Arenas was telling Abe Pollin and Ernie Grunfeld to upgrade the Wizards' facilities is up for debate. But he was clearly illustrating how the defending champions take care of their players. How the Wizards interpret Arenas's words gets to the issue of how much leverage stars have in this league."

"Wow... that statement could have been made about most of the Wizards team...

On the other hand, perhaps Gilbert Arenas was trying to do EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID HE WANTED TO DO!!!! Start. Play as many minutes as he was physically able. Help the team get off to a fast start. Get the crowd juiced up. And try to do all that BEFORE his knee became too painful to continue... (as was reported by Ivan Carter in the Washington Post)....

Your hatred is showing again DC Man88. Maybe you could put it away, at least until the Playoffs are over....?

Gilbert is obviously playering hurt and its not worth risking 10-15 minutes of him for his future....I'm not sure what impact he has besides firing up the crowd. The chemistry of the team before his injury was good and it resurfaced last night with the 2nd unit getting big contributions from Mason and Blatche. The offense also runs better with AD at the point with better ball movement and spacing on the floor.

CB3 is also mentally more focused to be the "go to guy" without GA on the floor. Last night, he was taking it to the rack, hitting J's, and playing tough D on Lebron. EJ smartly figured out that LeBron wants to abuse DSS and that Caron is a better matchup on defense. Hope Eddie continues to make these type of changes as the series progresses.

Posted by: wizfan89 | April 25, 2008 5:19 PM

The offense flowed real well when Gilby was in. And i'm tired of people using the excuse that other player's aren't as aggressive when Gilby was in. Caron wans't aggressive in games 1&2 even when Gilby wasn't in the game. People keep saying that Jamison and Butler are such great leaders, well if they are leaders then they wouln't just stand around as people claim when gilby is in the game. It's just an excuse to bash Gilby

gotta disagree with that. i was at the game last night and when arenas was announced as a starter, the place literally exploded. it was one of those goosebump moments. that electric jolt to the arena really helped ignite things i think and had a real positive effect on getting the team off to a hot start.

and even though arenas did little, he did make a couple amazing assist passes and even as he left you could feel that his presence this time really helped.
now that wont work every time. but last night it really did.

Gilby brought what he brought last night, but what we saw is that when he went out, the team focused on taking care of business, and everybody was involved. It was a great win for Les BouleS, but nothing new since they've been doing it all season sans Gilby.

Gilby can stay with Les BouleS if he wants, but in no way is he a max player, mvp of the team, or the leader.

Typical Gilby selfishness. He has to start and play to get the crowd's approval even though he is injured and could have hurt the team. IDIOT!!!

Posted by: DC Man88 | April 25, 2008 4:10 PM

Wow... that statement could have been made about most of the Wizards team...

Caron Butler (nursing hip, knee, and wrist injuries):
"Typical Caron selfishness. He has to start and play to get the crowd's approval even though he is injured and could have hurt the team. IDIOT!!!"

Deshawn Stevenson (knee and back injuries):
"Typical Stevenson selfishness. He has to start and play to get the crowd's approval even though he is injured and could have hurt the team. IDIOT!!!"

Antonio Daniels (wrist)
"Typical Antonio selfishness. He has to start and play to get the crowd's approval even though he is injured and could have hurt the team. IDIOT!!!"

On the other hand, perhaps Gilbert Arenas was trying to do EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID HE WANTED TO DO!!!! Start. Play as many minutes as he was physically able. Help the team get off to a fast start. Get the crowd juiced up. And try to do all that BEFORE his knee became too painful to continue... (as was reported by Ivan Carter in the Washington Post)....

Your hatred is showing again DC Man88. Maybe you could put it away, at least until the Playoffs are over....?

Posted by: Rook | April 25, 2008 7:28 PM

That wasn't me that posted that. Cleveland Fans are posting under my name. I agree with you Rook.

I guess you were sleeping when Gilby declared that he would opt out at the end of the season and possibly go somewhere else for less money.

"I asked Arenas last month what he thought the Wizards had to do to appease his wishes. He wouldn't campaign for the Wizards to acquire certain players, but he did say, "If you want a championship, you got to get a championship team."

He added: "I know this might not sound right, but the championship teams treat themselves like champions. You go into Miami's locker room, I'm like, 'Wow, what the hell is this?' Everything from their game-day meals for their players to every state-of-the-art thing you can imagine. As a player, why would you want to leave the locker room? I could sit there all day.

"We've been doing a better job, but it comes down to this: You treat your players like champions, they want to be champions," he added. "All the best teams in the league treat themselves first-class every day. Other players come over and think, 'They got this, they got that. Oh, I want to be here.' "

Whether Arenas was telling Abe Pollin and Ernie Grunfeld to upgrade the Wizards' facilities is up for debate. But he was clearly illustrating how the defending champions take care of their players. How the Wizards interpret Arenas's words gets to the issue of how much leverage stars have in this league."

I'm a pathetic Cleveland Fan. Can I please post on your blog? It's the only we can feel good about ourselves and city. We get happy about small accomplishments such as a 2-0 series lead to over compensate for the fact that our pathetic city hasn't been able to win ANY sports Championships. On top of all that, Lebron will opt out and leave us just like the Browns did. We won't have anyone else's nutz to slurp on anymore. I hope you understand. You will be seeing us around your blog a whole lot, we got 50 years to make up.

I know you guys won big game 3, but I'm sure me and other pathetic Cleveland Fans will continue to come to your site and talk trash. We talk trash even though our city hasn't won any championships, so why stop even if we got our butts kicked by 36 pts.

It's mind-boggling to me that GA is trying to play with a bone bruise and a pinched nerve. From what I understand, when you damage the outer surface of the bone, you really ought to let it heal. Otherwise, you're at risk for a more serious reinjury. Ditto with nerve trauma. Not to mention that both those injuries hurt like a mofo. I don't see how anybody can say that this guy isn't putting his teammates above everything else, even his own career.

It's mind-boggling to me that GA is trying to play with a bone bruise and a pinched nerve. From what I understand, when you damage the outer surface of the bone, you really ought to let it heal. Otherwise, you're at risk for a more serious reinjury. Ditto with nerve trauma. Not to mention that both those injuries hurt like a mofo. I don't see how anybody can say that this guy isn't putting his teammates above everything else, even his own career.

Posted by: John Brisker | April 25, 2008 10:10 PM

Not only is Gilby showing guts but his unselfishness. Much praise should go his way. I don't think there is any other player in the NBA that would play after 2 major knee surgeries and other minor stuff, when you are in line for Max Contract. Very commendable.

The discourse in this blog is really bad! Opinions, debate, venting, whatever is fine, but now it's just crap.

GA hurt us at the end of game 1. Fact.
GA really hurt us in game 2. Fact.
GA got the crowd going game 3, but otherwise had little impact. OK.

Sit him down before it gets worse. There is no hero in him right now. It's stupid! Be there for round 2 if we can get there.

Wow, you guys are talking about the draft and the season is not even over. Draft a PG if we don't resign GA, sure. Otherwise, we are already a guard heavy team. Roy Hibbert? You really think he is going to be available when we pick? Come on....

The discourse in this blog is really bad! Opinions, debate, venting, whatever is fine, but now it's just crap.

GA hurt us at the end of game 1. Fact.
GA really hurt us in game 2. Fact.
GA got the crowd going game 3, but otherwise had little impact. OK.

Sit him down before it gets worse. There is no hero in him right now. It's stupid! Be there for round 2 if we can get there.

Wow, you guys are talking about the draft and the season is not even over. Draft a PG if we don't resign GA, sure. Otherwise, we are already a guard heavy team. Roy Hibbert? You really think he is going to be available when we pick? Come on....

Posted by: Rob P | April 25, 2008 11:48 PM

Everything that you claim about Gilby is totally false. Go root for the Traveliers, and hate on LeTravel you Troll!

I logged on this morning to get a few insights on the Wizards from the posters before the day begins. I became a fan of this franchise when I lived in DC and they played at the Civic Center. Earl the Pearl made me a believer. They gave me my first taste of a world championship in '78 even before my beloved Skins in the 80's. No real fan of team forgets the first time. I have rooted for them continuously for 40 years. I am now up here in Bmore and they are down there in DC. I've only gone to a few games live. Believe me few up here care about the Zards. That doesn't matter to me. I wear my gear and I go to the Post site for the latest regularly.

The thing I liked about this forum was that unlike many other ones it is easy to access quickly for busy people. The others that I joined were frustrating because you have to wade through too many other threads and the look of the page was rather distracting. You don't have silly pictures beside each person. No nonsense-just name, time and poster's comments. Simple. You go to the Washington Post site and read Wise or Wilbon or the game article and then you go to Insider. And you get comments on Wizards from folks who are pretty knowledgable and passionate. The diversity of opinion made it interesting.

But over the months the joy of participating in this forum has rapidly deteriorated because of garbage like was posted last night. WE DO NOT HAVE TIME TO WEED THROUGH THE MANURE PILE FOR GOLD. We see the rules of the forum that are regularly violated and it gets more frustrating each day. As Keithinator posteded above at 6:31am:

"Ivan, please please please please please have the IT folks institute a registration process on this blog. It's become utterly useless."

I think most of us deeply appreciate this forum, the freedom to share opinions with other Zards fans who care. We appreciate also the access you have with the team and willingness to let us enter into that access through the forum. But this is not the only show in town and unless things change I, and many of the regulars, will soon disappear as some already have.

Please do something quickly or if unable to tell us why you can't. I think we deserve an answer.

On the comcast news this morning, from last nights edition, Gilbert stated that he would try and play Sunday, but the bruise is painful and he doesnt want to get the shot in his bone. He stated that the guys can feed off of the hometown crowd here, but if it's still bothering him when they go back to Cleveland he will take the shot. This sounds like someone who really wants to play and help the team, and putting the team ahead of himself. (Even if it's putting his surgically repaired knee, which still sounds like there's a risk of serious problems at more risk)... He said everyone was banged up, but thats comparing apples to oranges since he had 2major surgeries. Bottom line, Gilbert we appreciate all of your loyalty to the team, but take care of yourself first!

Roy Hibbert? You really think he is going to be available when we pick? Come on....

Posted by: Rob P | April 25, 2008 11:48 PM

Rob, most mock drafts I've seen show Hibbert falling PAST the Wizards at the 18th pick. Some have him going in the 2nd round! (I don't agree with that).... But there is a DEFINATE chance he will be available when the Wizards pick. He was projected to be a top 10 pick in last year's draft - but he didn't improve this year and has fallen in the rankings.

Please do something quickly or if unable to tell us why you can't. I think we deserve an answer.

Posted by: BmoreRev | April 26, 2008 8:19 AM

Well said BmoreRev. Some of the posts recently have become very inappropriate to a public forum. People are regularly co-opting other's names to post weird, inappropriate, and just plain gross stuff.

The Post needs a registration process. If something is not done soon, I'm afraid that most of the regular posters, myself included, will abandon this blog for someplace else where we can discuss the Wizards.

Rook, I know that the Redskins Insider requires registration so the mechanism is in place at the Post. I have no idea why this one can't be done just as easily. Unfortunately, I don't know of any other forums, though.

"Please do something quickly or if unable to tell us why you can't. I think we deserve an answer.

Posted by: BmoreRev | April 26, 2008 8:19 AM "

I agree, b/c I didn't log onto this site all night after 8:19, and since then, there were multiple postings made using my name.

Posted by: DC Man88 | April 26, 2008 8:50 AM

That wasn't me, but I do agree we need a new registration process. There are so many people posting under my name, people don't realize that I really have come around to see Gilby's value. But his haters are starting to hate on him using my name since they knew I used to hate on him the most.

"That wasn't me, but I do agree we need a new registration process. There are so many people posting under my name, people don't realize that I really have come around to see Gilby's value. But his haters are starting to hate on him using my name since they knew I used to hate on him the most.

Posted by: DC Man88 | April 26, 2008 1:15 PM "

Anybody who knows the real DC Man88 knows that he would never type this BS. Gilby needs to go.

Fulvio, discussing the draft is a helluva lot more interesting than 90% of the crap that's on this thread.

Rook is right, most of the mock drafts are showing Hibbert going later than 18th. If he'd declared himself eligible last year he probably would have gone with one of the lottery picks. This year he showed the limitations to his upside, as someone here put it. He did himself no favors professionally by sticking around with Thompson Jr for another year.

Good news is he's probably readier to play now than any of the other big men, and Wiz do need another big man. On the other hand, Wiz might not be able to afford Roger this offseason, Gil is unpredictable mentally and physically, and Antonio's experience and expiring contract are valuable bargaining chips. So picking a talented PG to groom could put Ernie in position either to fortify a potentially unstable situation at PG or, if it stabilizes, to trade Antonio's expiring contract away for a more veteran big man to back up Brendan.

I'd go for Collision at PG in 1st round and whatever big man is available in the second round.

If I were Les BouleS, I wouldn't draft Hibbert unless they think he can help at the 4. What Les BouleS need is a 4 who can play D, while get his own shot inside once in awhile.

Posted by: DC Man88 | April 26, 2008 3:11 PM

It's a good thing that you're not the GM of the Wizards. They already have Jamison, Blatche, Songaila, Pecherov and McGuire who can all play the 4... And then there's Vladimir Veremeenko (6'10") they've stashed over in Russia...

How many 4's do you think the Wizards need?

No - I believe their number one need is a young PG to take over backup duties from Antonio Daniels in two years - or a Center to backup Haywood.

But the LAST thing the Wizards need is another Power Forward... They're stocked at that position!

"It's a good thing that you're not the GM of the Wizards. They already have Jamison, Blatche, Songaila, Pecherov and McGuire who can all play the 4... And then there's Vladimir Veremeenko (6'10") they've stashed over in Russia...

How many 4's do you think the Wizards need?

No - I believe their number one need is a young PG to take over backup duties from Antonio Daniels in two years - or a Center to backup Haywood.

But the LAST thing the Wizards need is another Power Forward... They're stocked at that position!

Posted by: Rook | April 26, 2008 4:34 PM "

It's a good thing you're not the GM because out of all the names you listed, none of them are traditional 4's. All of them are either shoot happy 3's, or wannabe 4's with no offensive game and not enough size/weight.

When I think of a traditional 4, I think of Elton Brand, Kevin Garnett, Zach Randolph, Al Jefferson, etc.

As I said before, Les BouleS need someone at the 4 who can play D and get his own shots in the paint. And please, don't mention any Russians..it's too funny.

"That wasn't me, but I do agree we need a new registration process. There are so many people posting under my name, people don't realize that I really have come around to see Gilby's value. But his haters are starting to hate on him using my name since they knew I used to hate on him the most.

Posted by: DC Man88 | April 26, 2008 1:15 PM "

Anybody who knows the real DC Man88 knows that he would never type this BS. Gilby needs to go.

Posted by: | April 26, 2008 1:19 PM

Anybody who's been keeping up knows that I have had a change of heart regarding Gilby

It's a good thing you're not the GM because out of all the names you listed, none of them are traditional 4's. All of them are either shoot happy 3's, or wannabe 4's with no offensive game and not enough size/weight.

When I think of a traditional 4, I think of Elton Brand, Kevin Garnett, Zach Randolph, Al Jefferson, etc.

As I said before, Les BouleS need someone at the 4 who can play D and get his own shots in the paint. And please, don't mention any Russians..it's too funny.

Posted by: DC Man88 | April 26, 2008 7:57 PM

Sorry, but Al Jefferson is not a good example. He plays Center for Minnesota.

As for the Wizards:
Jamison (6'9") is the starter. Averaged 21ppg and 10rpg

AND you want to draft another 4? To be the backup, I assume?

OK - then where do you play:
Blatche (6'11" , can create his own shot, 114 blocks, great help defender) ?
OR
Songaila (6'9", nice mid-range shot, banger inside, physical defender, good rebounder, good role player)?
OR
Pecherov (7'0", hard working rookie with potential)?
OR
McGuire (6'9", great shot blocker, quick defensively, still developing an offensive game)?

Perhaps, and I say perhaps, McGuire can move to the 3, IF he improves his handle, his shot, and if he develops a 3-point shot... ( a lot to ask )... Otherwise, he's a 4.

Eddie might be able to move Blatche to the 3, in certain situations, against certain teams, with certain match-ups.... but otherwise, Blatche is a 4.

All the rest of the guys above are PF's...NOTHING ELSE!!

In the meantime, the Wizards have two (2) legitimate Point Guards. Arenas and Daniels. (Mason is a shooting guard that was pressed into emergency duty occasionally this year to help bring the ball up the court. But he's a natural 2.)

Arenas has a twice surgically repaired knee, and Daniels is an 11-year vet that will be 34 next year.

The Wizards played with one (1) true Center this year (Haywood) after Etan Thomas had open heart surgery. (Blatche played out of position at Center backing up Haywood this year and looked bad at times against big, physical Centers. Dwight Howard, Ilgauskas, Al Horford, Samuel Dalembert are some of the Centers I remember Blatche having trouble with.)

And you think the most important thing the Wizards should draft for is a Power Forward? - - - Then I have to disagree with you...

I'll stand by my assertion that the Wizards should draft either a Point Guard, or a Center. The starters are fine, but they are woefully weak at backup for both positions.

"Sorry, but Al Jefferson is not a good example. He plays Center for Minnesota.

As for the Wizards:
Jamison (6'9") is the starter. Averaged 21ppg and 10rpg

AND you want to draft another 4? To be the backup, I assume?

OK - then where do you play:
Blatche (6'11" , can create his own shot, 114 blocks, great help defender) ?
OR
Songaila (6'9", nice mid-range shot, banger inside, physical defender, good rebounder, good role player)?
OR
Pecherov (7'0", hard working rookie with potential)?
OR
McGuire (6'9", great shot blocker, quick defensively, still developing an offensive game)?

Perhaps, and I say perhaps, McGuire can move to the 3, IF he improves his handle, his shot, and if he develops a 3-point shot... ( a lot to ask )... Otherwise, he's a 4.

Eddie might be able to move Blatche to the 3, in certain situations, against certain teams, with certain match-ups.... but otherwise, Blatche is a 4.

All the rest of the guys above are PF's...NOTHING ELSE!!

In the meantime, the Wizards have two (2) legitimate Point Guards. Arenas and Daniels. (Mason is a shooting guard that was pressed into emergency duty occasionally this year to help bring the ball up the court. But he's a natural 2.)

Arenas has a twice surgically repaired knee, and Daniels is an 11-year vet that will be 34 next year.

The Wizards played with one (1) true Center this year (Haywood) after Etan Thomas had open heart surgery. (Blatche played out of position at Center backing up Haywood this year and looked bad at times against big, physical Centers. Dwight Howard, Ilgauskas, Al Horford, Samuel Dalembert are some of the Centers I remember Blatche having trouble with.)

And you think the most important thing the Wizards should draft for is a Power Forward? - - - Then I have to disagree with you...

I'll stand by my assertion that the Wizards should draft either a Point Guard, or a Center. The starters are fine, but they are woefully weak at backup for both positions.

Posted by: Rook | April 26, 2008 8:36 PM "

Al Jefferson plays center for Minn, but at 6-10, he's clearly more suited at the 4.

What's wrong with drafting a 4? AJ is 31 and there's no guarantee that he'll be here after this summer. At least with Gilby, he's 26, so if he stays, drafting a PG who won't be playing that much is a waste of a pick. A backup point guard can be had in the 2nd round, but most good big guys are gone in the first round.

You can go on and on all you want about the personnel on Les BouleS, but none of them have a traditional 4 game which means back to the basket offensive ability in the paint, athletic ability, size (not just height), and defensive ability.

If Les BouleS lose in the first round, EG should seriously consider whether to keep Gilby and/or AJ. I think if we decide to keep Gilby, we should consider a sign and trade with Atlanta to get Josh Smith.

Go BIG! We lack big physical people, period. All our "Bigs" are skinny, too short, not too athletic, etc etc...Cleveland makes our front line look really small with both their starters and bench players. Haywood is all we got. If we can get Hibbert, snatch him. He's the backup we need and will get time right away.

A PG on this team assuming we resign GA is not going to get any playing time. So draft a guy with upside and try to develop him. Just no Travis Diener's...lol. Get a guy with a little size, muscle, who can defend and then work on the offense over time.

I just read LeBaby had a party at Love and DS had one somewhere as well after the game. What? We are in the middle of the playoffs.

Maybe the media coverage is much more intense than it used to be, but I can't imagine Magic, Jordan, Bird, Dr J or whomever else ever doing that in the middle of a playoff series. I don't even think going out to a club and keeping a low profile for a bit to blow of some steam is that big of a deal, but actually throwing the party is a little more distracting and something different altogether.

Atlanta just beat Boston..wow. Philly is up 2-1. Eastern conference is looking weaker by the day!

I agree with you, Rob P, but I think the better route is via trade. None of the bigs available in the draft are going to make an impact next season, except maybe Hibbert. Wiz need a veteran big, not another rookie project big. Draft a PG, re-sign Roger and Gil, and trade Antonio away in a package for a veteran big.

Wilbon: It went out the window when Gilbert came back, and they knew it would. It happens when you insert a player who needs the ball in his hands.

Dupree: He's right. He's 100% correct.

George: What? You're saying you add Gilbert into the mix and now it's not working...the face of the franchise?

Korn: It's like adding sugar to Lasagne. Chemistry is a fragile thing.

Dupree: They were great with him, and when he went out, they realized they can be great without him.

Posted by: | April 26, 2008 10:58 PM

Kornheiser is an idiot. You can't use adding sugar to lasgna as a fair comparison. That's like saying sugar was good with Lasgna at one point. Gilby was great with Les Boules when healthy and had the best record in the East. Now adding Gilby less than 100% at times might not have been great.

And I don't know what Dupree is talking about. Wiz were great with Gilby 100%; example best record in the East. They are not great without Gilby. They are good, at times very very good, which is commendable.

Wilbon, I can't stand him anymore ever since he bashed Sean Taylor right after his killing by jumping to unfair assumptions. Couple others in the media did the same but when the facts came out they apologized. Wilbon has yet to apologize. What a scumbag!

I guess, but all these trades etc are pure conjecture. Especially considering if you have a decent big man most teams are not going to entertain a trade. It's possible I suppose.

I also don't understand why people in here think that we are going to resign GA, AJ, and Mason. Mark my words - MASON IS GONE! Unless he is going to give us one hell of discount, but he would be stupid to do so as he already did this year.

I will now pat myself on the back. Back in the summer before Mason was ever signed I was all about resigning him while most in this blog said he sucked and was not worth the time. I knew he could be a good bench player bc he had terribly erratic minutes last year, but had a lot of good moments and he plays defense to go with his nice shot!

@ DCMan

I know exactly what you are talking about with Wilbon and Sean Taylor. But, he only said what most people were thinking. And I can't remember his exact comments, but he did admit he was wrong when the facts were revealed. I don't think it was necessarily an apology as in "I'm sorry I said that", but he corrected himself and admitted he got it wrong.

I guess, but all these trades etc are pure conjecture. Especially considering if you have a decent big man most teams are not going to entertain a trade. It's possible I suppose.

I also don't understand why people in here think that we are going to resign GA, AJ, and Mason. Mark my words - MASON IS GONE! Unless he is going to give us one hell of discount, but he would be stupid to do so as he already did this year.

I will now pat myself on the back. Back in the summer before Mason was ever signed I was all about resigning him while most in this blog said he sucked and was not worth the time. I knew he could be a good bench player bc he had terribly erratic minutes last year, but had a lot of good moments and he plays defense to go with his nice shot!

@ DCMan

I know exactly what you are talking about with Wilbon and Sean Taylor. But, he only said what most people were thinking. And I can't remember his exact comments, but he did admit he was wrong when the facts were revealed. I don't think it was necessarily an apology as in "I'm sorry I said that", but he corrected himself and admitted he got it wrong.

Posted by: Rob P | April 27, 2008 12:50 AM

When you are a national writer and publicly known like Wilbon, you can't state everything you think. Especially in a column. You need to have the facts before the jumping the gun.

The media, including Wilbon always gets on athletes for stupid irresponsible statements, and hold them accountable. Wilbon was irresponsible with his column and did not hold himself accountable.

I disagree with one key point. Wilbon is a sports COMMENTATOR/OP ED/OPINION guy. He was not writing a hard news story about Sean Taylor where facts should be facts. I don't even remember if he wrote a column about it, he probably did. But, he still is a sports commentary guy. At the time, based on Taylor's background Wilbon's opinions were widely held, but seldomly voiced. I found nothing wrong with it. If in retrospect, you don't accept how he handled the "apology". Ok....that's your opinion. Actually, obviously you can hold whatever opinion you want about Wilbon. IMO, he is one of the best sportswriters in America.

Also, the real truth is Taylor's "past" did play a part in his death. It was not as egregious as first thought, but it was still a result of the crowd he let hang around him or let in his home. The whole story was sad and he definitely seemed to have changed.